mistletoe
by natodiangelo
Summary: "It's called mistletoe," declares Mineta, standing proudly at the center of the common area. "If you and another person stand beneath it, you have to-" there's a weighted pause as Mineta looks around with all the flourish of someone about to reveal a long secret truth about the world, "-kiss" ((Mineta brings mistletoe into the 1A dorms. Izuku gets caught up in it.))
1. Chapter 1

ive officially joined bnha and more specifically tododeku hell

also im writing more for this but idk when itll be done so stay tuned

* * *

Izuku isn't familiar with American traditions, and he's fairly certain that rest of class 1A is in the same boat, but despite that fact – or, perhaps, because of it – winter comes with a (less than pleasant for some) surprise.

"It's called _mistletoe_ ," declares Mineta, standing proudly at the center of the common area. "If you and another person stand beneath it, you have to-" there's a weighted pause as Mineta looks around with all the flourish of someone about to reveal a long secret truth about the world, _"-kiss"_

There's chatter all over the room at that: excitement from Kaminari, embarrassment from Uraraka, disdain from Jirou.

"Where'd you even learn about something like that?" Kirishima asks, amused.

Kaminari interjects. "Does it _matter_?"

Mineta brings attention back to himself. "That foreign girl from class B told me.

Sero whistles. "She talked to _you?"_

"Of course," Mineta replies. "Well, not _technically_. But I overheard her talking to that other hot chick in the locker room."

Iida storms over at that, hands motioning and brow drawn. "That kind of behavior is absolutely intolerable!"

"Oh, shush it, Iida. Not like Mineta has the balls to actually do anything."

"I _do_ have the balls, as a matter of fact," Mineta retorts. "Anyways, someone tall come help me hang this stuff up."

* * *

After the afternoon excitement dies down Izuku forgets about the whole ordeal, more focused on his evening training and studying and further thoughts for how he can improve himself. In fact, it's not until he's walking to his room to retire for the night that it's brought back to his attention.

 _"Ooh,"_ Ashido teases, "Midoriya, look up!"

He does, not thinking much of it, only to realize too late what's going on.

"Oh-"

Izuku is no stranger to embarrassment – rather, they're close friends, along with 'bad luck' – and so he doesn't expect to leave this situation without a little pain.

(Izuku's quirk may as well be fortune telling for how often he says that.)

((Which is to say, he is generally painfully correct.))

He tries to move away from the plant's area of effect but someone passing by steps into the circle and the spell in complete.

"You know the rules!" Kirishima grins at him. "You and Todoroki have to kiss now!"

Todoroki frowns, confused. "What? Why?" His question is directed at Kirishima but Izuku feels the brunt of it, embarrassment fueling his guilt at the situation. He can feel his face flush without his consent.

"Weren't you here when Mineta went over it? If you stand under the mistletoe with someone, you have to kiss them." Kirishima points to the ceiling, at the small, innocent splash of green on the otherwise empty white.

Izuku can feel all the eyes on him, though he's not sure if anyone is actually looking this way or if it's his own mind producing it. Either way, it weighs at his shoulders, and he forces himself to stutter out a few words.

"W-we don't- it's not, not really..." He motions nervously with his hands as he trails off.

Todoroki, seemingly unperturbed, simply turns around and begins to walk away.

"Hey! You have to follow the rules!" Kaminari has joined the slowly accumulating group, and Izuku, not for the first time, wishes for a quirk more like Togata's so he could have an easy out.

"Really, let's not..." Izuku tries, but his voices comes out too soft to be heard above the chatter.

"Why?" Todoroki asks.

"Because it's the rules!"

There's a moment of tense silence, a fight of wills or a fight of thoughts, while Izuku debates saying something else. Before he comes to a decision Todoroki speaks.

"Fine."

A moment later Izuku is closer to him than he's ever been besides perhaps the sports festival, and he can see every strand of white and red hair, and he can smell his shampoo or conditioner or fabric softener, he's not sure which but it smells better than anything he's ever smelled before and

And then Todoroki presses their lips together and everything melts away until all he can feel is the warmth of a mouth against his.

Todoroki pulls away _much_ sooner than Izuku realizes he would have liked, and he's saying something but Izuku doesn't think it's directed at him. He's red, he knows, red all the way down his neck and _wow_ that was his first kiss and _wow_ is he gay for Todoroki and _wow_ does he need to run away now.

So he does.


	2. Chapter 2

Izuku isn't really sure what to do.

He was in his room and on his bed before his mind had caught up with him, but even the safety of his room hadn't calmed his beating heart.

He's confused, to say the least.

Does Todoroki like him? Or had he simply bent to accommodate peer pressure? Was he up in his room right now with the same myriad of emotions swirling in his chest.

He buries his head into his pillow and tries to slow his breathing.

He really doesn't understand where this anxiety was coming from. Sure, it was his first kiss and sure, the image of Todoroki in his mind has become much more handsome and sure, he can feel the beginnings of what will probably become a terrible crush forming in his chest but-

The best thing to do would be to just go talk to him, of course. But what was Izuku supposed to say? "Hey, Todoroki, remember a few minutes ago when we kissed? Yeah, so, I kinda can't stop thinking about it and also want to try it again?"

Even the thought of trying to talk to Todoroki right now sends his heart into overdrive. He's sure he's reading into things too much, but he's also sure that he has no idea what Todoroki is thinking.

So.

He pulls himself from his bed and leaves his room on shaky legs.

The walk to Todoroki's room takes only a few minutes, and now he stares at the outside of Todoroki's door with a sweaty face and sweaty hands and wills it to open on its own.

He raises one unsteady hand and knocks.

There's no reply.

He waits, shifting from one foot to the other, wringing his hands and ruffling his hair in an attempt to calm down. But there's nothing, no noise from the otherside at all and his anxiety is slowly rising. It goes on long enough that he decides either Todoroki is ignoring him or he's not there, so he turns to leave.

The door opens.

"Midoriya?"

He whirls around and immediately regrets it, as it creates a tornado in his stomach which really isn't helpful right now.

Todoroki is holding his door open with one hand and straightening his hair with his other, blinking sleep from his eyes and looking like he's trying to hold back a yawn. He's wearing a worn t-shirt and some red pajama pants but Izuku swears he's never looked this nice before.

Distantly, he realizes that he probably just woke Todoroki up and, much louder in his mind, he realizes that this is what Todoroki would look like if Izuku woke up next to him. His face goes red and before he can stop himself he squeaks out, "I wanted to talk to you about earlier?"

Todoroki looks at him for a moment with something close to surprise before stepping back to allow Izuku entry. "Sure."

There's a lag between Izuku trying to move and him actually moving, but somehow he makes it into Todoroki's room.

It's dim; the only light comes from a lamp on his desk, which just reminds him again that he probably woke Todoroki up. It adds to his accumulating anxiety, but he shoves that down to deal with later. For now, he needs to focus on other things.

Things like Todoroki falling back onto his bed, much more relaxed than Izuku thinks he's ever seen him, and patting the space beside him. When Izuku just stares for a moment, Todoroki says, "I don't bite."

"I-I know!" He scrambles up next to him and curls his hands into his lap, staring at the bedding. The comforter is solid blue, but his sheets have small sheep on them. Izuku feels his face getting warmer.

"You wanted to talk?"

Izuku jumps. He thinks for a moment if someone were to attack right now, he wouldn't be able to so much as realize he was being hit before he was dead.

"Yeah, about earlier…"

"What about it?"

"I, um, I wanted to ask why- if you just- if it was peer pressure?" Izuku stutters out. "I mean- I think it probably was, because they were all saying it was the rules, and you probably just wanted to make them be quiet so you could go to bed- but I didn't know if it was that or something else and I-"

Izuku stops when Todoroki begins to laugh. It's quiet but Izuku definitely heard it because suddenly his heart is in his throat and his face has gone up ten degrees.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Todoroki says, amusement playing in his eyes. Izuku has never seen him like this, and he wonders if it's just because it's late that he's like this.

"No, it's okay, I was rambling. I do that a lot."

"I've noticed."

There's a pause, one that feels like an hour to Izuku – an hour that he spends trying desperately not to look at Todoroki because he feels like if he does his heart will begin to malfunction – but is really only a few seconds.

His heart is beating so loud in his ears, he almost doesn't hear Todoroki when he says, "It wasn't peer pressure."

"What?" Izuku gasps.

"It wasn't peer pressure." Todoroki repeats, and if Izuku looks closely he can see a flush spreading over Todoroki's face, and that actually doesmake his heart malfunction, because suddenly he feels like he can't breathe.

"So then-"

"I did it because I wanted to."

Izuku takes a shallow breath. "Would you- would you want to do it again?"  
Todoroki simply leans forward, takes Izuku's face in his hands, smoothes a thumb across one overheated cheek, and presses their lips together.

Izuku supposes that's enough of an answer.

Todoroki's lips are warm and soft, and they feel like magic as they brush against his. He lifts his hands and let's his fingers run through Todoroki's hair, smoothing then pulling then smoothing it back down.

It isn't hard lose himself like this, and he suddenly realizes why people do it so often. He melts against Todoroki and he slowly moved them to lay down, both of them on their sides.

When Izuku pulls back for air Todoroki chases his lips, and he really can't help but laugh, all previous anxiety gone. Todoroki buries his face in Izuku's neck as Izuku continues to pet his hair.

"You know," Izuku starts. "I didn't like the idea at first."

"What idea?"

"Mistletoe." His chest feels tight but this time it's for an entirely different reason. "But it didn't turn out so bad."

"I'm glad you think so." Todoroki's breath tickles his neck, so he pushes him away a little, leaning forward to instead put their foreheads together.

"I'm glad, too."

They stay like that for a while, bodies pressed together comfortably. When Izuku begins to nod off he realizes how late it is.

"I should probably go back now." He says, though he'd much rather stay right where he is. Todoroki must think the same because he curls his arms tighter around Izuku's waist.

"Can you stay?"

Izuku really shouldn't - there's class tomorrow, and he feels embarrassed just thinking of someone watching him walk out of Todoroki's room first thing in the morning. But Todoroki is so warm next to him and he's already part way asleep, so he settles himself further in and sighs.

"I'll stay."


End file.
